Into the Woods
by nicole ashlie
Summary: Buffy is faced with a problem. Something has caused an inbalance in the universe when she becomes pregnant...with Spike's child. Suddenly there are all kinds of forces pinned against her and they don't want the child born. Read the story to learn more!
1. Chapter 1: Impossible? Not so much

"This can't be, Buffy." Spike exclaimed. As great of a fighter he may be, he isn't so well at keeping his calm. He paced the floor of the Summers' house again and again as Buffy sat silently on the sofa. She fell back against the soft cusioning and sighed deeply. Watching Spike this desheveled was kind of amusing…and creepy. Spike finally stopped pacing and turned to Buffy in confusion. He repeated himself for a third time. He ran his hand through his neatly sleak platnum blonde hair and a few strands fell loose.

"Spike." Buffy spoke softly. She pulled herself from the comfy sofa and look his hands into hers. She watched as her small soft hands wrapped around her lover's. She turned her attention to his face, oh his beautiful face. Sometimes she wondered how such a beautiful face had remained unworn through so many years.

"I mean, Buffy, are you sure? Because…well because we can't—vampires—can't have children. So…" His voice was shaky. He was clearly scared. The first that Buffy had seen. Although Buffy understood his fear and concern, she was hurt by his questioning. Of course she knows the whole vampires don't have children thing. She backed away from him and folded her arms. He got the hint that she was a little upset. "I didn't mean it like that Buffy, you know that. I just meant—well—whatever _is_happening it's happening for a reason. We both know well enough that these bloody things don't just happen. Not like this…but…I am here with you through anything. I know you don't love me, Buffy. Anyone can see it. I havent given you a reason to love me. Or trust me for that matter. But Buffy…I do love you. I love you without a soul…without a beating heart…I love you. Know that. Whatever happens from here it's going to be okay." He pulled her close to him in his embrace. Her face pressed against his chest and her arms trailed behind him and she rested her hands on his shoulder blades. She couldn't love him. She knew that. Baby or no baby.

"I know." Was all she could mutter. "I know." She closed her eyes and just sighed. She was so tired. Mentally and physically exhausted. _Was this really happening? I mean, Spike did have a point. Vampires just cant have children. Yet again, he's the only thing—living or dead—that she had been with in quite a few months…since….Riley. What if Riley had stayed…this baby could be his. A normal, human baby. It could have a normal life. A daddy to take it to the park on a sunny day. A daddy that it could depend on. A daddy that was human and actually had a beating heart. But…it shouldn't matter. Beating heart. Human. It all shouldn't matter. A few years ago I would have been more than willing to have a whole house full of Angel's children—I mean—if it were possible. So what makes Spike so different? He loves me. He is willing to give this a chance. Am I? Am I willing to give all this a chance? Yet I really don't have a choice now. _


	2. Chapter 2: Ice Breaker

Buffy opened her eyes to the shining sun coming through her bedroom window. It was warm and welcoming. Buffy pulled her blanket from her body and stretched her arms before getting out of bed. She was startled as Spike's arms wrapped around her from behind. He gently kissed the back of her neck and it sent chills up her spine. She turned around to return his affection. She pressed her lips against his and let it linger. "Spike…"

"Buffy…"

"I didn't know you had stayed the night." She asked quietly, hoping not to wake the rest of the house.

"You had fallen asleep in my arms downstairs last night. I brought you up here and I couldn't bring myself to leave you alone." Spike said sweetly as he caressed her soft angelic face.

"Dawn didn't come home last night?" Buffy asked with panic in her voice. She walked past Spike and into the hallway towards Dawn's bedroom. As she opened the door, she noticed Dawn's bed was made and the room had been untouched since the day before. _How could I have let her stay out all night? Where could she be? _"Spike, she could be in trouble. Why didn't you tell me?"

Spike smiled. "Dawn, she called last night. Said she was staying at Janice's for the night. I talked to her mum just to be sure."

Buffy's worry quickly faded. She smiled and walked back over to Spike. She gave him one more kiss before she went downstairs. As they began to walk down the stairs, the front door swung open and Willow walked in.

"Oh hi Buffy." She said casually. She saw Spike behind Buffy. "Spike, what are you doing here so early…and upstairs?" She looked a bit confused.

"Uh—you see—I was—" Spike rambled.

"Will. Can we talk?" Buffy asked as Spike quickly stopped his rambling and looked at Buffy. _Is she really going to tell her? _

"Of course, Buffy. Is this about being out all night because I wasn't dabbling with the magics again. I swear—I was actually at my Magics Annonymous group. It was totally harmless so you really don't have to worry." And again with the morning rambling.

"No, Will, it's actually about me…and Spike." She guided her best friend towards the couch. "Take a seat."

"Is everything okay?I mean, are you hurt?" She worried.

"No. Not hurt…pregnant." She blurted out. She just couldn't beat around the bush so early in the morning. Especially about something like this.

Willow laid back and she didn't know what to say. Of everything…she didn't expect this. Noo…not this. She opened her mouth to speak…but then decided not to. _What do I say? Congratulations? I'm happy that my best friend and her undead boyfriend are spawning behind my back?_ For one thing, she wasn't happy about it. _I believe what I am feeling is not happiness. _She looked at Buffy. Then at Spike. "If you want me to approve of this I can't. You should have told me before, Buffy. I'm your _best_ friend…you should have told me." She rose from the couch and stormed up the stairs and into her bedroom. Spike and Buffy sat in awe.

"I thought that reaction would have come from the little bit." Spike said, shocked. Buffy didn't answer him. A single tear fell onto her cheek as she looked at Spike. It was as if he read her mind. He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.

Willow heard a knock at her door. She didn't need magic to know who was knocking. _Buffy. _She didn't answer her yet Buffy opened the door anyway. She stood in the doorway. "Can I come in?" She asked. Willow turned to face her. She was upset. "Listen, Will. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't know how to tell you. How to tell anyone really. It wasn't planned out this way. It just happened."

"Why didn't you tell me you were sleeping with Spike?" Willow asked as Buffy walked further into the room and closed the door. She sat next to her on the bed and folded her hands on her lap. It's still a sore subject for her to talk about.

"I don't know. I was ashamed of it I guess. I didn't want anyone to know."

"Do you love him?" Willow asked sincerely.

"Tara asked me the same—" Buffy began to say before she could stop herself. Willow looked down to the floor. It probably wasn't the best things to say.

"So you told Tara…but not me?"

"I had to. I needed help, the magical kind. I knew I couldn't ask you for it. I'm sorry Will. I really am. I didn't really think things through. A lot of things." Buffy admitted.

Willow looked at her best friend. She looked into her eyes and she saw the pain and fear in her eyes. _I can't be selfish right now. Buffy needs me. She was there for me at my worst and it's only right that I am there for her. _She wrapped her arm around her. "Buffy, I'm here for you."

Tears streamed down Buffy's face as she hugged her best friend tightly. They both let a few tears fall. "I could really use my best friend right about now. Will, I don't know what to do. I don't know what's happening." Buffy cried. "Tara can't find an answer and Giles…well I haven't told him. I'm not sure I can."

"We'll do it together." Willow wiped the tears from Buffy's face and laughed. "Remember the time Giles realized Tara and I were together? I thought he was going to pass out."

Buffy laughed as she recalled the memory. Her laughter turned to concern for her best friend. "How is everything going between the two of you?"

"I don't know. We talk, you know, when we bump into each other places. It's awkward. We talk like we've just met but at the same time all I think about is kissing her. It's just so complicated."

Buffy stroked Willow's beautiful red hair. "It'll be okay Will. Once you fall for Willow, you stay fallen." They smiled.

"I hope so."


	3. Chapter 3: Something Somewhere Out There

Giles took his glasses off and began to wipe them almost until they shattered. Buffy sat nervously in his apartment with Willow sitting by her side. "Oh dear." He repeated again and again.

"Giles…" Willow said quietly. "…are _you_ okay?"

Giles sat forward in his chair and looked at Buffy. _Oh dear…_ "How did this happen?"

"Well…you know…do I really have to explain it?" Willow said uneasily.

"No Willow. I understand that part." He jumped in to answer before she did explain the process. "I meant how did a vampire reproduce? It's impossible…until now. There has to be some magical reasoning to this."

"Tara's been looking through some books and incantations but nothing so far." Willow answered, dissapointed that Giles didn't have any new ideas. "Well we should get back to the house and look in our books. Call us if you find anything?"

"Of course." Giles said as Willow was on her way out the door. Buffy was walking across the room towards the door as well when Giles stopped her. "Buffy, how are you holding up?" She's like a daughter to him and he didn't want to see her in pain.

Buffy turned to him and paused. "Not really sure. I mean, I'm a little tired. I know you don't want to hear about him…but Spike is really helping me through this. I want him to stay with me through this but I need to know that you're okay with it."

"Buffy, you know I don't approve of this whole thing. This can't possibly be safe for you….but….I trust you. I trust that you know what you're doing and I want to help however I can. But this doesn't mean I like Spike or trust him with you."

"Thank you." Buffy said as she smiled and left. As the door shut behind her Giles returned to his seat. He put his head in his hands and ran his hands through his hair. At the same time, across town, Spike was doing the same. He paused for a moment as he heard a noise coming from downstairs.

"Dawn?" He asked aloud. He went to the top of the staircase and at the bottom was Tara.

"Spike." She was startled. "Is Buffy back from Giles' yet?" She asked inquizitively as she looked around.

"Not as yet. There something I can do for you?" He asked kindly.

"No that's alright thanks. Just let her know I stopped by when she returns?" She asked politely as she made her way back outside.

Spike stood akwardly. "Sure." _Something's going on. _He shrugged his shoulders. _Beats me. _An hour or so passed and Buffy and Willow returned to the house.

"Red, your girl was here not too long ago." He began talking to Willow then turning his attention to Buffy. "But she wanted to talk to you."

"Did she say if she found something?" Buffy asked with new hope.

"Didn't say much of anything. Took off in quite a hurry." He added pecululary. He continued down the staircase. "So how did old Rupert take the news?"

Buffy sighed. "I'm not sure. He seemed bothered but okay I guess. You know how he gets sometimes. Everything's a mess right now. I don't know if it was the best time to break it to him with Xander and Anya still gone. He's really worried about them."

"Well we're all worried about you too." Spike interveined.

Willow started off into a daze as she thought about Xander's reaction to this whole ordeal. "I wonder where he is…" She spoke. Buffy wrapped her arm around her best friend. _It's really hard for her with him being gone. She's probably feeling pretty betrayed these days what with that and now this on top of it. _

"You know Will, you should get out of the house. Maybe go see some friends from your Magics Annonymous group? We've got everything under control here." Buffy insisted.

"Thanks Buff. Maybe I will take you up on that later but I really should be here now. Something somewhere did this for a reason and the sooner we find out who—or what—and why the better."

_Somewhere else…_

"The deed has been done. What you have foreseen has been set in motion. The cosmic balance between good and evil will be alter as you had predicted. What do we do now?" Asked a demon hidden in the shadows…

"We stop it." Answered another demon.


	4. Sometimes A Risk Is Worth Taking

"Have you talked to Dawn yet?" Spike asked Buffy as she laid her head on his chest. He could feel her soothing warmth flow through his body. She giggled as his finger traced in circles on her back. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. She pressed her lips against his and he in turn ran his hands through her long blonde hair. It grew more passionate each second that passed. Buffy gently broke the kiss but she kept close to him, so close that their noses almost touched. She stared deep into his icy blue eyes.

"Tell her what?" She smiled and pretended she didn't know anything. Spike played along.

"Oh I don't know, maybe the fact that her big sis has been sleeping with a vampires that just happened to get her pregnant. Yeah, I think that just about sums it up." He started to chuckle until he looked over to Buffy who didn't seem to find it as funny.

"Is this really happening, Spike? I mean, are we going through with this?" She waited for an answer or at least something from him. _We haven't even talked about it in all seriousness…I mean we've been running around telling people and we haven't even decided if we're…we haven't decided anything. I mean what is there to decided? Keep it? Give it up for adoption? Oh sure. Here would anyone want to adopt our baby? I'm sure he'll be great with the sucking your blood and such—but oh you can't bring him into the sunlight or he'll burn. I'm sure there would be people lining up at our door to adopt it…or take it into a laboratory to dissect it. Or there's…well there's that…_

"Buffy? You okay love?" Spike looked over at Buffy as she stared aimlessly across the room. Buffy snapped out of it. "Buffy…I want this baby. It's happened for a reason. It'll be okay." He tried to reassure her but she wasn't buying it.

"Who says this is happening for a good reason? What if this is another apocalypse or something?"

Spike started getting a little upset. "Buffy, that's absurd. Why do you want to assume everything is a bad thing?"

"Because it usually is with me. Think about it Spike, it's the perfect plan. Some demon impregnates me and some evil demonic thing kills me from the inside out and causes mass destruction with no slayer to get in the way." She tried to use the logic she knew but it was only making the situation worse.

Spike moved back against the headboard of Buffy's bed, signalling her to get off of him. His eyes narrowed and suddenly the calm sea Buffy saw in his eyes became a raging sea amidst a firey storm. "Oh right Buffy because that's a much better alternative! Anything is as long as it's not _Spike_ that did it! Right, Buffy? Admit it, you've always been ashamed of me and now you have to live with the fact that _our _child is growing inside of you! Fine, you go ahead and get rid of it. If that's what will make you happy then do it. I'm not stopping you. Go back to your normal life and pretend it never happened." He rose from the bed and started to storm off when Buffy yelled to him.

"Spike!" She called out. He turned around hoping to hear something different. _Please tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that's not what you want. Tell me…tell me you want this baby as badly as I do. Tell me…tell me please…_ "Spike…I can't…"

Spike turned back around and headed for the door. He slammed the front door shut and stood still for a moment. He glanced at the front lawn and for a moment he pictured how his life would have changed. He saw a little boy running around the yard. He must only be about four or five. Beautiful blonde hair and hazel eyes like his mother. It was dark of course and Spike was right beside him, running after him. He caught up to him and tossed him up in the air as he giggled. And there in the doorway of the house was Buffy. Still as beautiful as ever.

_"William, it's time for supper. Come in and wash up." Buffy called out to her son. The boy ran to his mother and hugged her tight. _

_"But I want to play with Daddy some more." He whined. _

_Spike smiled at his son and ruffled his hair. "We can play again tomorrow, William. Go inside now and wash up for dinner. Mommy and Daddy will be in soon." He walked over to Buffy as little William ran into the house. _

_"Spike, why do you make promises you know you won't keep. You're just like your father. You run off and come back when you want to. Don't you think it's bad enough he can't be a normal kid because of you? He's just like you, you know. He's just like you."_

In a flash, it was over. Spike looked over to the lawn again and they weren't there anymore. _A dream? Was that real? _It was then that he realized maybe Buffy was right this time. _Maybe I was just thinking about myself. I wasn't thinking about the baby. What if I am my father? What if this baby isn't human? It's my fault. She's going through all of this because of me. If I were human she would be happy with this baby. She would love it…love me perhaps. That's what it all comes down to. Humanity. _Spike rushed out of the yard and as fast as he could. The farther away from Buffy the better. She made up her mind. He wasn't a part of her plans.

_Back in the Summer's House…_

"Buffy what was that?" Dawn asked as she hurried into Buffy's bedroom. Her older sister was lying on her bed with her knees tucked up to her chest. Tears fell onto her cheeks. She didn't say anything. Dawn quietly walked into the room and sat beside her sister. She stroked her blonde hair and wiped her tears. "Did you have a bad dream?" Her sister asked sweetly, trying to help. Buffy shook her head as her tears continued to flow. She sniffled and breathed heavily as she sat upward and hugged her sister tight. "Buffy what's going on? Is something wrong—is someone hurt—what is it Buffy talk to me. I'm your sister." Dawn pleaded.

"Dawn. Things are so screwed up."

"Things are always screwed up, Buffy. Everything will be okay though, you'll see."

Buffy pulled from the hug and looked at her sister. "No, Dawnie. I'm pregnant." She covered her eyes with her hands and cried out. Dawn tried to take it all in. A small smile crept upon her face.

"It's Spike's." Dawn asked quietly.

Buffy took her hands from her eyes and stared at her sister in astonishment. "You knew?"

"I'm a teenager, not stupid. You've been sick for days, Spike's been hanging around a lot, and I just put two and two together. It's not the end, Buffy. You've been through so much…you can do this."

"I don't think I can, Dawn. I'm not keeping it…Spike…" Buffy cried.

"Loves you and this baby." Dawn reassured her. "Give him a chance." She held her sister again as she began to settle down a bit. "Remember that song Mom used to sing to us when we were little?"

"Mhhmm."

"Remember the words?"

"Mhhmm."

Dawn started singing as she continued to hug her sister. The words were comforting and soothing. It had been almost a year since their mother passed away. Memories of her were bittersweet but they brought them closer together through the hardest of times...

_The next day…_

"Buffy Summers." The doctor called. This was it. There they were. The clinic, with Willow by her side for support. Willow gave her a nudge.

"Buffy are sure about this? Do you want me to come in with you?" She asked hesitantly. Buffy nodded and walked into the exam room. She sat back in the chair and looked over to the doctor as she prepared. The doctor had that look. That look of sorrow and pity. _But she isn't judging me. She's used to this kind of thing. It's what she does. How many babies does she…how does she do it? How does she sit here and smile at me? How does she go home to her children at night…after killing…_

"Okay Miss Summers, I am going to begin. Are you ready?" The doctor asked. Buffy looked to Willow and tears fell from her eyes.

"It's okay Buffy. I'm here for you." Willow spoke softly to her best friend.

"No, it's not. It's not okay Will." Buffy said as she pulled herself up from the seat. "I can't. I can't do it. I can feel it, Will. Inside me. It's real and it's a part of me. I can't just get rid of it." Buffy cried.

Willow was shocked…and relieved. "Are you sure, Buffy? This is huge."

"I'm sure." Buffy smiled as her attention turned to the doctor as the doctor spoke.

"Miss Summers, you are almost eleven weeks. If you don't do this now…you may not have a second chance." She advised her patient.

Buffy smiled and placed a hand over her abdomen. "This is my second chance…..and I'm taking it."


End file.
